Thread: Does anybody donate plasma regularly?

Originally Posted by Mr. E

Once you've had mono you have mono forever, which is why they don't want your plasma. I don't know where "back home" was, but I'm surprised they let you donate. Anyone who receives your plasma will get mono, and then they will have it forever.

You don't have mono forever, you have the antibodies forever. Just like chicken pox, measels, or even getting a tetanus shot. Someone who receives my plasma won't get measels or tetanus just because I have the antibodies for it.

Originally Posted by Cryptic

You don't have mono forever, you have the antibodies forever. Just like chicken pox, measels, or even getting a tetanus shot. Someone who receives my plasma won't get measels or tetanus just because I have the antibodies for it.

The virus can remain dormant in the B cells indefinitely after symptoms have disappeared, and resurface at a later date.

In other words, while you don't have it forever technically, there is really no way to prove that you don't still have it since the virus can remain indefinitely.